


of the space between stars and between beating hearts

by candypolaroide



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-05 01:57:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17315918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candypolaroide/pseuds/candypolaroide
Summary: Auston’s subconscious just has a way of admitting traitorous thoughts whilst his guard is down, long before the rest of his body catches up.(or, the one where Auston proposes for no good reason at all)





	of the space between stars and between beating hearts

**Author's Note:**

> i should have been working on getting accepted into college

The day that Auston decides to finally get his shit together and propose, he wakes up to Mitch’s eyelashes fluttering against his chest (as per usual—the boy  _does_ have really long eyelashes).

 _Huh,_ he thinks, staring past the top of Mitch’s head and breathing in his familiar shampoo scent. There’s a feeling in his stomach that he can’t quite place; something that he’d probably be able to name if only his brain felt more awake.

But then Auston’s distracted at the sight of his large pile of laundry by the door, and starts wondering when the fuck he’s gonna clean that shit up.

 

★

 

Mitch is lazy, as usual, so Auston makes them both omelets with a small dash of _cotija_ cheese on top; an Ema Matthews’ specialty.

Mitch clambers down at the kitchen island and starts eating before Auston can even fix his own plate, which, _rude._

“These eggs literally look like my face,” Mitch chirps, just because he’s a fucking asshole. Auston knows he’s full of shit though, because the sound he makes on the first bite is _obscene_.

Auston smiles smugly as Mitch continues shovelling food down his lanky throat. “This cheese is _so good_ —wait, is this even in our diet plan?”

“Who cares?” Auston shrugs, settling down beside him. They eat the rest of the meal like that, alternating between chirps and bites until Auston finds himself finished long before Mitch.

“Why do you take so fucking long to finish your food?” he grumbles half-heartedly before flicking him up the head, just once.

“Ow!” Mitch bats his hand away. “I don’t, so quit staring at me, would ya?”

Auston blinks a few times, startled. Not even realising how intently he was gazing at Mitch’s profile, he quickly averts his eyes.

They’ve been dating for so long now that they’re kind of beyond the point mutual embarrassment. Their relationship even managed to survive a drunk Mitch Marner accidentally telling _Babcock_ about the time they had sex in the— _ahem_. Well. They’re pretty rock-solid, is all Auston's trying to say.

But there’s still moments where Auston gets blushy around Mitch, despite how long-term their relationship justifiably is. They still make each other nervous, sometimes. Even now, even after four years as boyfriends, and six years as teammates; they still make each other feel like nineteen year-old rookies all over again.

 _Huh,_ Auston thinks.

 

★

 

Morning skate is good—him, Mitch, and Willy are usually on the same line now, more than not. It’s awesome because they get to celly with each other, and pass to each other, and play in sync with each other. It's what the three of them are best at.

Being on the same line, though, is bad when Auston gets into fights and Mitch feels the need to jump in.

It’s frequently the other way around, but Mitch is usually the one left with a bust lip or a black eye. Whenever this happens, Auston gets protective and Mitch gets angry and usually one shouts at the other for being _so stupid_ before it all culminates into a round of really passionate hate-sex.

(They don’t hate each other though. They actually love each other a little bit too much and when someone gets hurt, that becomes a problem.)

Mitch actually kind of secretly likes it when Auston fights for him, all that macho testosterone-filled bullshit. Auston denies it too, but sometimes he also thinks Mitch can be a little swoonfully admirable (if only on the lowest of keys).

 

★

 

So, that’s how their day goes: morning skate, then weight training, then some quick routes of cardio before a meeting with the nutritionist.

Seeing Mitch working out is hot, but having to stare at Dr. Carl twenty minutes later to talk about the “incorporations of quinoa into everyday diet”, is decidedly—not.

Boner effectively killed, he and Mitch decide to stop at Whole Foods on the way home so they can actually buy some of the fucking shit that they’re supposed to eat, as adults and whatnot. Then they spot Patrick Marleau and drag him along, because Patty’s a responsible adult who can probably force two idiot hockey players to stay on task.

Patty’s also real fun to have around, so soon enough they’re jamming out in his dad-approved SUV to an awful Kidzbop rendition of “We Belong Together” whilst on the way to the grocery store.

“What the heck even is this shit?” Mitch asks once, trying unsuccessfully to change the channel.

“Hey!” screams Brodie Marleau from the back with an indignation usually not found in eleven year-olds. “This is MY shit!”

“PG,” Patty warns at the steering wheel, but mostly he just sounds tired.

Auston leans forward from beside Brodie (he’s always last to call shotgun, _always_ ). “You really need to be a cooler dude, Patty. Maybe it’ll rub off on Brodie.”

Brodie wiggles out from Auston’s head-noogie and says, “My dad only listens to sad stuff. Like _A Star is Born!_ He knows all the words.”

Auston laughs so hard he almost falls out of his seat.

Mitch hollers, “I got that on Snapchat!!”

Patty curses them out in a language that is definitely _not_ PG.

 

★

 

They stay for dinner with the Marleaus, and Christina makes them take a family portrait together as per usual.

She posts the picture on Twitter with the caption, “ _My ONLY children!_ ” so that Brodie and Jagger get sufficiently roasted in the comments (fucking legends, this family).

On the ride back home, Auston is quiet-ish.

He’s thinking about how much he loves the Marleaus; how bright and funny their kids are; how full of laughter the house always seems. He wants kids too, Auston decides. Three, maybe, or even four. He’ll obviously have to talk about it with Mitch first, though, but—

_Huh._

Suddenly, thinking about kids feels like a really scary thought. When did he start incorporating _Mitch_ into the picture? Something feels off in Auston’s stomach, so he pushes the thought aside.

Before he can naval-gaze some more, Mitch starts blaring Drake on the AUX and Auston is completely distracted—he has no choice but to sing along because, _come on._  They're in Drake's city, after all.

 

★

 

They’re lying on the king-sized bed later that night with Auston’s head on Mitch’s stomach. He is listening to Mitch tell a story through two different ears; the one pressed flat up against Mitch's body is mostly just filled with vocal vibrations.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mitch’s slightly pitchy voice is saying something and Auston is kind of paying attention—but then there's this moment where his brain gets really calm and all he can think is, _I wish the rest of my life were like this._

Commitment-related thoughts still terrify Auston the way they did when he was a teenager. But this time, they’re less about him being emotionally unready, and more about the fact that he’s a dude who’s in love with another dude and they’re both in such a good place right now that he doesn’t want to mess anything up.

He doesn’t want anything to change. He doesn’t want to do anything to make Mitch uncomfortable, or rock the gently-floating boat that they’re currently sailing on.

(And thinking serious thoughts like _the rest of my life_ would probably be deemed counterintuitive.)

But then his brain gets all traitorous on him _again_ , and in that quick, quiet second where Auston’s still processing everything, that same tiny voice flashes another time. _I think the rest of my life_ could _be like this._

Auston’s subconscious just has a way of admitting traitorous thoughts whilst his guard is down, long before the rest of his body catches up.

Wordlessly, Auston props himself up on his elbows until he’s hovering over Mitch’s face. “Marns,” he says awkwardly. His throat feels really dry.

Whatever Mitch had been previously rambling about dies off when he sees the expression on Auston’s face. “Matts,” he answers back, slowly, like he’s a bit amused.

Auston’s kind of at a loss for words right now. He’s staring into Mitch’s eyes and thinking about how _boring_ their day was—or how boring it should have been.

All they did was go to practice and shop for groceries, before eating dinner in bed with the Netflix on. He did that shit by himself all the time, before he met Marns. It’s average shit to do, kind of the dull stuff that being an adult is made up of. By all rights, it should have been a boring day—

But it wasn’t.

Auston woke up happily, and ate breakfast happily, and went to practice happily, and even bought fucking _quinoa_ happily—all because he had someone along with him that made him…well, _happy_. He thinks that if he wants the rest of his life to be good, then he should probably chose to spend it with someone who makes him feel that way.

It’s kind of a greedy wish to even imagine (because honestly, these types of stories never work out for gay Mexican NHL players), so he’s a little more than a little nervous when he remembers that Mitch is still staring at him blankly.

“Hi,” he says, kind of stupidly. And then—

"Marry me.”

It comes out a bit breathier than he hopes, more of a sentence than a question so Auston decides to try again. “Marry me?”

Mitch’s mouth is completely ajar, like one of those “surprised Pikachu” memes. Auston can’t believe he’s so adorable. Auston also can’t believe he’s thinking about Pikachu during a time like this (but its obviously a distractive defense mechanism to cope with the ridiculous amounts of embarassment he's currently feeling at the moment).

“What—um, I-did you, just—”

( _Mitch’s ears are turning red_ , Auston notices somewhere in the back of his brain)

“—say what—Matts—”

(staring into his eyes is a nice way to not freak out, though. Mitch has really pretty eyes)

“—oh my _God._ ”

Auston can feel Mitch’s heart going nuts, hammering against his chest. He focuses on that and tells himself to _calm down_.

“Are—are you _serious?_ ”

It’s probably the way Mitch says it, so hopeful and slightly terrified and _one hundred percent excited_ that Auston finds the bravery to open his mouth again.

“Yeah, Mitch.” His throat still feels dry. “I’ve been gone for you since the day I met you.”

The tense moment of silence that happens next is broken by them both surging forward at the same time. Auston’s not really sure who’s kissing who, but in between gasps he feels Mitch trembling underneath him; hands running through his hair, teeth are scraping against pale skin.

Blindly, haphazardly, Auston reaches for lube and slicks a finger into Mitch. _One, two, three,_ it isn’t long before Mitch is writhing and gasping for breath.

“Fuck me,” he says, his bright blue eyes slightly smoky with tears. Auston can see the wetness catching on his eyelashes, those fluttery beautiful things. Mitch’s lips are swollen and pink; his slender neck is marked with bruises.

When Auston slides in, they both groan.

He rolls his hips a few times, nearly comes at the look on Mitch’s face when he hits a certain spot. He presses Mitch’s legs up, so that the angle is better; drives so deep that Mitch’s entire body convulses.

“I love you so much,” he wants to say, but feels that would be a bit cliché. He doesn’t really mind, though, especially when Mitch hears it and immediately comes on a choked-out _yes._

Auston’s not really sure if that’s a _yes_ to his sex skills or a _yes_ to his proposal (which he technically still hasn’t received a proper answer for yet, by the way), but he fucks Mitch through his orgasm until they’re both shaking.

“Mitch, Marns, Mitchy,” he babbles. “I’m so close—"

Mitch snakes a hand between them and touches Auston’s face with a reverence that seems almost inappropriate. “I love you, Matts.”

Right as he’s on the edge, Auston thinks: _I am going to have this for the rest of my life._

He comes so hard that the world turns black.

 

★

 

When his eyes open again, he sees Mitch peeking out from behind a pillow, almost shy. The moment Auston tries to make eye contact, he buries his face in the bedding but can’t hide the dopey smile spreading across his cheeks.

“Come here,” Auston grumbles, because he's been with Marns long enough to know that he needs a little reassurance right now. Tugging an arm around their stomachs, Auston settles his chin against Mitch's shoulder; their knees slot in between each other like always. In this position, their hearts align perfectly and Auston wonders if Mitch can feel just how fast it’s beating.

Auston, for his part, honestly has no idea; all he can hear in his mind is a replay of Mitch saying “ _yes”_.

**Author's Note:**

> comment if u want a second part where they wake up the next morning all awkward and Don't Talk About It for like a week, before the tension ultimately climaxes in a really angsty extra proposal (complete with a ring, because these boys kind of deserve them).
> 
> also, the Drake song playing in the car is Controlla bc Auston has good taste in music but Mitch doesn't


End file.
